Paramedics Rally Around Petition

Ambulance paramedics are trying to rally support to be declared an essential service — and therefore, not able to go on strike or get locked out.

Vernon paramedic Dean Perry says a petition — similar to what was used to get rid of the HST a few years ago — has started to gather names.

Perry says the petition needs support from 10 per cent of registered voters in all 85 electoral districts in BC by April 10, 2017 — in order to get the BC government to consider it.

That works out to 316,000 signatures.

Perry says the change would put their 4,000 members in the same bargaining unit as police and fire, and out of the unit that includes hospital lab techs and cleaning staff (CUPE local 873) .

“So if they vote to go on strike, who knows what would happen with your paramedics. This way, ambulance paramedics in BC would be deemed an essential service and would have to go through the arbitration, same as police and fire do,” Perry tells Kiss FM.

Perry says the petition organizer, Josh Henshaw, will be in Vernon Feb. 9 to hold events where people can sign.